The Plague's Kiss
by Repitition
Summary: A deadly plague strikes Konoha while the mighty country is at one of its weakest points; having a shortage of shinobi, Tsunade is forced to send Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata on a mission when she receives notification of a possible cure. Can these two unlikely Genin survive the harsh pandemic? Or will they be brought down, possibly bringing down their entire country? NaruHina.
1. The Mission

A light sigh escaped Tsunade's moist lips as she gazed over her village, the mighty country of Konoha. At least, it was supposed to be her village. She wasn't sure that any sole person could boast the possession of Konoha anymore.

It was quite a nice day; the sun reflecting off of the buildings, the grass still wet from last night's gentle precipitation. A gentle breeze stirred the multicolored leaves below, dropping them to the ground at various paces. The weather was moving on steadily, leaving behind the people it affected despite their protests for it to wait up while they recovered from their wounds.

Despite her rather melancholy mood, and her certainly rotten predicament, Tsunade couldn't help the humorless smile that took the place of her troubled frown: that last sentence was probably something the Third would have said.

Her grip on the iron railing of the Hokage tower's balcony tightened and Tsunade twitched slightly, not allowing her stone cold facial expression to shed tears. Tears signified weakness, and weakness was not an option when you had an entire nation watching and following your every move, and when you had enemies just waiting to see a crack they could exponentially widen.

If only the Third was still alive. He would know what to do, as he always did. But the Third wasn't alive.

The humorless smile faded off of Tsunade's face, and a pained grimace took its place. It was as if the entire village was a large mouth, and it was repeating the same sentence over and over, "_Help me, help me, help me, help me…"_

"I'm trying," Tsunade whispered to no one in particular, burying her face in her hands. Her epic battle against tears was over. She had lost.

The plague was sudden and deadly, striking while Konoha was already at one of its lowest points: engaged in war with the outcast clan of Sabaku, a clan of shape shifters who carried a Kekkei Genkai that allowed them to morph their body's consistency to that of mere sand.

The war had been fairly one-sided for quite a while in Konoha's favor, seeing as the Sabaku had lost nearly all of their ninja skills over their many years away from civilization. The only way they had survived the steady onslaught was because of sheer numbers; they had spent many years collecting members. For nearly every ninja Konoha had, Sabaku had two, perhaps even three.

A final, unexpected attack – one that Tsunade had orchestrated from start to end – from Konoha had knocked Sabaku on to the ground, and, for a while, it seemed as if they wouldn't get back up. It was then, however, that they released their ultimate weapon upon their enemies: the Plague.

It was still a question mark as to how, when, or where it happened, but everybody knew that it _had _happened. A Konoha ninja had grown sick while fighting a Sabaku, and he spread that sickness to his partner, and he spread it to two, and so on and so forth until nearly a quarter of the village was sick.

It hadn't been anything to worry about at first: just a minor cough, perhaps some vomiting every now and then. But as more people contracted the illness, it grew worse; the minor coughs turned into coughing up blood and mucus, and the vomiting morphed into diarrhea.

The way the sickness itself developed inside of a victim's body was phenomenal, perhaps even groundbreaking in the medical world: the sickness absorbed its victim's chakra and transformed it into mucus, which spread to more mucus until finally the host body was one big walking ball of disgustingness.

And there was no possible cure.

Any medic that heard those words would probably scorn the one who said it, as Tsunade did to that poor messenger Nin, the one who had run nearly ten miles from the border to the heart of the nation to inform his Hokage of the bad news.

An anxious laugh emitted from Tsunade when she realized just how much confidence she had lost over such a short period of time, and she ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture, not bothering to wipe the drying tears from her face. What was the point, anyway? They would simply keep falling.

Medical Nin were taught from a very early age that there was a cure to every ailment, no matter how fierce, no matter how slim the chances of survival. That was the mentality Tsunade was wearing when she sent Sakura to tend to the first patient. She was determined that this was merely a cold:

Not even three days later, Sakura came back in shock: the patient had died, despite her using all possible methods.

Tsunade had sent her home angry that day, saying she had failed with perhaps a bit too much excitement than was necessary. The next day, she had _personally _gone to tend to the newest victim. He died, as well, in an even shorter time period then the first: exactly one day and nineteen hours.

Soon, it became worse: the victims began to die on the same day that they contracted the sickness; the Sabaku began to power through Konoha's 'iron hard' defense, breaking them to the core. People were dropping like flies in the heat. Tsunade was helpless, more helpless then she had ever felt before.

To add to the sorrow, Sabaku hadn't relented in their assault. That was two things for the Hokage to worry about, both of them with seemingly no possible cures.

Tsunade nodded absently as the glass door was opened and slammed, feeling the presence of someone leaning over the iron railing next to her. She didn't have to look to know that it was Shizune returning from the hospital.

"How many deaths?" It wasn't exactly the cheeriest first question, but this wasn't a very cheery situation, after all.

"Eighteen and counting," Shizune replied, her voice quavering. Tsunade guessed she was crying. Her lips shifted to ask another question, but she was interrupted by her assistant's quiet confession, "We've found another cure."

The statement wasn't said or received with much enthusiasm, as it usually was; nearly every week, Shizune informed that the scouting ninja had found a new 'cure' to the disease. Every time that happened, Tsunade put together a squad of ninja to chase that lead, no matter how thin it may seem. None of the ninja returned.

"Where?" Tsunade still refused to look up, her voice being muffled by the iron railing.

Shizune answered, "Literally the middle of nowhere. Apparently, a mountain range between the borders of Konohagakure and Kumogakure. A fresh water spring with 'mystical healing properties'. It may not be much, but it's our biggest lead."

It was quite obvious that Shizune herself had doubts about this 'cure'. It sounded like something one might read out of a children's fairy tale, Tsunade noted as she curved her lip upwards in disgust.

Flicking a hand toward the village, she questioned, "How many available shinobi?"

Shizune looked up with a gaze full of sadness, her fingers tapping together. "Tsunade-sama, you can't be serious; not a single squad has returned! You've sent four squads!"

Choosing not to reply, Tsunade instead wearily pushed her hair out of her face and let her previous question hang in the air, still waiting for the answer. Shizune sighed, defeated, and answered solemnly, "The most we can spare on this wild goose chase of a mission is two Genin."

"Send them here."

A frown darkened Shizune's face, and she gazed skeptically at her Hokage with puffy red eyes. "This can be possibly classified as an S-rank mission," She persisted, "Why send a pair of unlikely Genin? If anything, wait until someone like Hatake Kakashi or Yamato returns; this is practically suicide, sending those poor children out!"

"Send them here."

With another sigh, Shizune realized she was defeated once more. She pushed off the banister and made her way out of the Hokage tower, not eager to suffer yet more casualties.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was not expecting visitors.

He never really was, to be honest. The sudden outbreak of Plague only further diminished the possibilities, seeing as no one in their right mind would want to be outside in these conditions: not only was the plague contagious, it was airborne. People could get sick simply by taking in the fresh air.

Seeing as Naruto wasn't expecting visitors, he was doing one of the only things he could have been doing at the moment: eating ramen. However, he was also doing something he never thought he would have been doing before: eating ramen with a frown on his face.

Naruto was one of the more adventurous shinobi of Konoha, as everybody knew. Being held down wasn't an option for him; he either got to go anywhere he wanted, or nowhere at all. It even showed in his fighting style: he preferred to utilize the entire battlefield to his advantage, casting ranged attacks and melee attacks at his choosing.

Hence why Naruto was a very sad ninja at the moment. He'd been in his apartment for two days straight now, with no missions, no visitors, not even any quick trips outside to take a breath of fresh air; all of those things held a possibility of him getting sick.

"Sick, sick, sick," He muttered angrily as he idly stirred the ramen broth in his bowl. "I'm sick of being told I'm gonna get sick if I do anything!"

Having lost his appetite all of a sudden, Naruto placed the bowl in his microwave and fell on to his bed with a _huff, _leaving him staring up at the chipped ceiling. A groan escaped his lips; Sakura was in the hospital taking care of patients, Kakashi-sensei was out on an intelligence mission, and Sasuke was…who knew or cared where the hell Sasuke was? Probably with that bastard Orochimaru right now, observing Konoha at its weakest.

"Damn you, bastard," Naruto cursed with just a hint of longing hidden in his voice, licking his lips and rolling over to one side. "Leaving us here to suffer while you drink to your health." He knew he wasn't really angry, however. Simply more bored then anything.

He should be fighting right now, dammit! Or going out to scout the Sabaku, or something! Exactly what he should be fighting still remained a mystery, but anything would be better than _this! _Eating and sleeping and pooping, eating and sleeping and pooping, over and over and over and over…

Naruto didn't know how long he laid there, just staring out of the window at the apartment building directly next to him. Nor did he know how many times his bell buzzed before he noticed it, but it was probably quite a few.

"Go away." Naruto's voice was little more than a whimper as he told off the intruder, despite knowing that they couldn't hear him. After a few more buzzes of the bell surrounding him like an angry bee that he just couldn't run away from, the boy grudgingly rolled out of bed and approached the door.

"Who is it?" He attempted to mumble through the hard oak wood, his facial expression displaying annoyance, "I thought I told you people that I don't wanna buy any cookies. Leave me alone."

"Uzumaki Naruto," A sharp voice said clearly, "Your presence is requested with Hokage-sama."

Naruto's head perked up, and all traces of infuriation left his face. "Tsunade-baa-chan? What does she need?" He mentally slapped himself for that sentence. Of _course _he knew what she needed. "It's about that plague thingy, right?"

"Your presence is requested with Hokage-sama," The voice repeated in the same monotonous tone. Naruto grumbled, zipping his jumpsuit all the way up. People could at least try to talk, ya know. "Coming."

He was rather surprised to see, instead of Tsunade, Shizune standing on his doorstep with an expression full of worry. "Tsunade-baa-chan's assistant? Where's that pig that you usually have?"

Choosing to ignore Naruto's rather rude outburst, the woman simply handed the boy a thin gas mask and headed out the door, implying that he follow her. Tying the mask around his face, Naruto groused once more, "Everybody's laconic now. Everybody wants to be emo. Lovely."

He followed the woman outside, however, and they made their way across the village in silence.

Not for the first time, it struck Naruto how simply _peaceful _the village seemed to be in light of this pandemic, or whatever they called it. No, there were no parents rushing their children to the academy; no, there were no citizens making idle talk with the stand over; no, even Ichiraku was closed down. The only things that currently inhabited the streets of Konoha were the occasional passerby, and wild animals.

As they were climbing the stairs of Hokage tower, Naruto asked, "Aren't you gonna at least tell me a little bit about what Tsunade-baa-chan needs?"

Shizune remained silent, much to Naruto's chagrin. "Well, fine then," He mumbled. "Be like that."

His anger melted away at the sight of Tsunade, who had returned from the balcony to her usual perch at her desk. "Tsunade-baa-chan!" He cried in glee, adjusting his forehead protector. "You called me?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, Naruto." Shizune smirked in amazement at the sheer steadiness of the Hokage's voice; it was hard to believe that she had nearly broken down just an hour ago. Apparently, this was why she had been chosen to do her job.

Tsunade leaned over her desk, and spoke in a low voice, "I have a mission for you."

"A mission for me?" Naruto feigned surprise, though he grinned inwardly. This day was just getting better and better. "Well, what does this mission consist of?"

Tsunade flicked her hand to a seemingly empty corner of her office. "I already informed Hinata-chan of the details. There's no time to waste explaining it to you. You'll have to go now, and she'll fill you in."

Naruto's eyebrow tilted up, and he shifted his stare to the corner. He hadn't even noticed Hinata at first – possibly because she was attempting to hide –, but now it was quite obvious that she had been there all along: short blue shoulder length hair cut through the darkness like a hot knife through butter. Raising a hand in greeting, Naruto gave a lazy smile. "What's up, Hinata?"

The girl blushed profoundly and averted her eyes, managing a mere wave before she darted from the room and bounded down the stairs, her head lowered. Naruto stared after her in confusion, not even noticing Tsunade's deadpanned stare. The Hokage shook her head in wonder, before adding in a grave voice, "You need to go _now, _Naruto. This plague is serious. I'm quite sure you've heard of it. I'll tell you this much: you're going to the border between Konohagakure and Kumogakure. Don't stay in one place for too long."

Naruto gave a grim nod despite not fully understanding the advice. Shrugging off his doubts, he saluted and spun around to exit the room. Just as his hand was hovering over the doorknob, he hesitated. "Tsunade-baa-chan," He began, his voice just as grave, "Why did you send me, of all people? I know I'm good, but why not someone like Neji, or even Lee?"

Tsunade and Shizune shared a glance, and Tsunade nodded. She had expected this question long before the boy's arrival. Carefully avoiding Naruto's query, she simply said, "Lee and Neji are on missions with Gai. Now go." She flicked her hand to the door, and turned her attention back to the paperwork on her desk.

An uneasy nod from Naruto, before he left the room in silence, presumably to meet Hinata at the village gates.

After the boy left, Shizune tentatively asked one last question, "Do you think they can really do it, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade sighed, and scribbled her signature on another sheet of paper, not bothering to look up.

"We can merely hope, Shizune. We can merely hope."


	2. The Team

The air was riddled with a foreign scent, Naruto noted. Husky, rich, flowing like a stream through the malleable air as if it knew its purpose at all times. Every corner of the village, no matter how small, was utterly cloaked in it. The boy's lip curled as an especially strong whiff hit his sensitive nose; he didn't have to be practiced the in art of smell. He knew it was the odor of plague.

The sky was masked by bright, floating colors that swirled and danced in a beautiful show; it was getting late. Nearing night, the boy figured. A thick breeze ran through the village, ruffling his hair and clothes. The streets were utterly cleared of all other people besides Naruto himself.

But there was something else. Something…deeper. It covered the other sordid smells with harsh overtones, claiming Konoha as its own. This smell, Naruto was familiar with.

Fear.

Uncomfortably shifting his small messenger bag to his other shoulder, Naruto slightly quickened his pace, his sandals kicking up small clouds of dust on the dirt road. He was no stranger to fear, for he had been victim to it many times in his rather unfortunate childhood; fear, while desperately running from mobs whose intention was to hurt him.

Fear, while wiggling under other ninja's oppressive glares as he walked down Konoha's streets.

Fear had been his chief emotion until the age of seven, when he finally realized that it wasn't helping to wallow in such terrible misery. It was doing the exact opposite, in fact. And so began his constant façade of mischief, like a costume he wore at all times. Eventually, after all the pranks and ill behavior, it became a part of his character; the costume cemented to his mind, and all of a sudden he couldn't remove it.

Konoha was bathed in fear at the moment. Fear was shadowing the village.

Just that thought alone was enough to make Naruto dig his nails into his palm, his stomach contracting. This wasn't just any village; this was _his _village. And he would do anything, _anything _in his power to save it before it was utterly destroyed by this bastard of a plague. He would rid it of this horrible scent of fear, for as long as he could.

His eyes flickering open, Naruto was treated to the grand sight of Konoha's opening gates. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding; he had never been so eager to exit his home village.

The last words that exited the boy's mouth as he left his village for an unknown period of time were some of his most spoken.

"I will not fail."

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata squirmed as a shock of blond hair came into her view. Naruto was ready. To be fair, she hadn't expected such sharp punctuality from him; despite all of the pep talks she had given herself before time, she still found her eyes flickering to the ground below her, her cheeks flushed. She sidled backwards until her back was touching a rather large tree, and she figured she was safe in its shadows.

Hinata had not expected to be called for a mission, much less a mission of this magnitude. She had figured that she would wait quietly in the Hyuuga compound, until this whole plague died over. Hence, it had been quite a shock to her when her uncle had said in his cold voice that her presence was requested with the Hokage.

She was even more stunned when she learned she would be going on a mission, with Naruto of all people. The revelation had made her want to cry, in both glee and grief; perhaps both at the same time.

"Oy, Hinata-san!"

Hinata twitched. Naruto had seen her. The boy trotted towards his companion, unbeknownst to him the sheer terror he was causing her.

"Hinata!" He repeated with his trademark smile, this time accompanied by a casual wave. "What's up?"

Hinata's forehead creased slightly; what would she say if she was to reply? And if she didn't reply, would Naruto think that she was being rude? The dilemma sent small wave of fright through her stomach, and she whimpered.

Uzumaki Naruto may have been naïve, but he was not stupid. His eyebrow tilted upwards at the violent shade of red that morphed onto Hinata's cheeks, but he didn't press the trivial matter of greetings. Instead, he flickered his gaze pointedly toward the forest that bordered Konoha's territory. "So," He inquired calmly, "You gonna tell me about the mission?"

Hinata let out a thankful sigh, and began, "W-we're going to…Kumogakure." Picking up her bag from the grass next to her, she followed Naruto's steady jog as he headed toward the forest.

"For a cure for the plague?" Naruto guessed, his hand stroking his chin in a thoughtful pose. Hinata nodded slightly, slightly disappointed that she still couldn't manage simple replies without an annoying stutter. She continued, however, "Yes. T-t-there's a stream in a mountain range with healing properties." After a while, she hurriedly added, "Mystical healing properties, that are supposed to be able to heal any injury."

A frown creased Naruto's brow, and he paused momentarily. "That doesn't sound real to me," He replied skeptically as he absentmindedly crushed a small leaf under his sandal.

Hinata bowed her head slightly, a signal that she felt the same. There was a strange shroud of myth covering this whole endeavor, no matter how thin; she was seriously considering if such a thing even existed. Perhaps Hokage-sama was simply ensnared in a trap of despair so deep she couldn't see out of it, to where she was convinced that every statement made was a truth. Such thoughts were quickly tossed out of Hinata's mind with a shake of her head; she had confidence in her leader. An eerie consideration slowly crept into her brain, however: if she couldn't trust the leader of her nation, who could she trust?

Hinata noticed that Naruto had resumed his strides while she was still in thought. Hurrying to catch up, she furiously flushed as a rough grin was tossed her way. With a pang, she realized just how much control Naruto had over her; a simple smile could have her at her knees. She chided herself lightly, but in all honesty, she didn't mind that much. In fact, her cheeks reddened even more at the thought of what she would be reduced to if Naruto went even….further.

The girl's gaze soon flickered up, and back to Naruto's face. The smile was still there, however, but she realized that it was _missing _something. His hands were clenched tightly, so tightly they were growing pale, and the smile was cold and stale, as if he couldn't change it even if he wanted. Hinata frowned slightly. How could the boy's mood have changed so quickly?

"Naruto-kun?" She began tentatively. She considered reaching out to him, but she fought the urge. "Is there s-something wrong?"

Naruto didn't answer for a long moment, but when he spoke, it was through tightly gritted teeth, "This is probably the biggest mission of my life. If I fail, if I even have one misstep, I can bring all of Konoha down with me. They knew that; they knew it was hard for me! They _fucking knew it! It's not fucking fair!_"

Hinata violently flinched at the vulgar language. The boy suddenly turned and punched a tree with a fierce yell, splintering the bark. Covering her face to avoid the wood shavings, Hinata frowned as she waited for Naruto's rugged breathing to go back to normal. The sudden outburst had surprised her, but a corner of her brain knew that he wasn't really upset at anyone more than himself, despite his harsh words; he was surprised even more than her.

Naruto was used to being looked down upon, even being spit on, on various occasions. He had at first dismissed it as bully behavior by a few select people, but as it went on, eventually another layer formed on his personality, behind the more obvious stratum of his prankster side; it was a layer of wariness, one that was constantly active, even in his sleep. His cheerful grin that he gave all strangers was really just something to keep them occupied while he sized them up from head to toe, in an attempt to gauge their personality.

To receive such an important mission while the villagers were just going back to their habit of using him as an outlet for their frustrations, it was confusing, to say the least. So Naruto released that confusion in the only way he had been taught: anger.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-san."

Shining tears brimmed the boy's eyes, though he desperately fought them for dominance as he cradled his hand. His voice was clipped with subtle pain, signifying that his knuckle was probably broken, perhaps split. Hinata nodded slowly in understanding. It was becoming more and more obvious that there was more to her crush than his chief expression of mischief.

After allowing the boy another few seconds of silence, Hinata gently suggested, "Maybe we should keep moving." A quick glance up towards the darkening sky told her that it was approaching night.

Naruto nodded blindly, shaking his hand despite the pain. "I've held us up," he realized, his voice carrying the dull overtones of a snarl. Without bothering to plaster another smile on his face, the boy took off to the north, his hand hanging loosely by his side. Hinata followed reluctantly, taking one last fearful gaze behind her.

Around fifty feet away from the two ninja, perched rather comfortably in a tightly knotted tree, a grim smile spread across the Sabaku scout's masked face. "So they're on the offense."

The scout quietly slipped away to inform his captain.

* * *

Hinata's ramen was cold, as she duly noted. But then again, you can't expect much more when you prepare instant ramen with barely lukewarm water from a mountain stream. She didn't really care, in all honesty.

Instead, she idly stirred the broth and noodles, her eyes honed on the boy in front of her rather than her meal. Naruto's steel gaze was focused ahead, his limbs hanging so low they nearly touched the cold dirt as he surveyed the clearing for at least the hundredth time. A light sigh escaped Hinata's lips as she studied her companion. He wasn't fooling anybody, much less the Byakugan user; it was nearing midnight, and he couldn't see a single thing.

Naruto had fiercely opted against a fire, his argument being that it would draw unnecessary attention to them; they were approaching the border of Water Country, a very scout-heavy country after all. It hadn't been much of an argument, either way. Hinata had merely nodded and bowed her head, launching a search for water.

Although it was a valid argument, it had its drawbacks; sight was one of them.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began with a deep breath, "Perhaps you should come eat, while I scout ahead?" Receiving no reply, the girl reasoned, "I do have the Byakugan, after all." There was much more she wanted to say, but she bit back her words.

Naruto stiffened. He opened his mouth as if he had a retort, though he wordlessly rose to his feet and turned to walk past her. Hinata watched with a gaze full of pity. Naruto had taken on a laconic nature since his 'breakdown' earlier that day, and Hinata couldn't blame him for it. If anything, she refrained from questioning him any more than she did before. It was obvious that he needed time to himself.

Leaping to a tree that could serve as a suitable lookout, Hinata activated her Kekkei Genkai with a flicker of chakra. She refused to let her cheeks redden, however, when she felt Naruto's steady gaze on her. _Nothing, _she thought to herself after taking a quick scope of the area. Resisting the urge to let out another sigh, Hinata shook her head. Naruto picked up the motion, and returned his stare back down to the cold noodles on his lap.

But wait. The girl's eyes flickered back up. Yes, just at the far reaches of her range, a trifling chakra signature that was slowly moving closer. Not wanting to disturb her companion, she retained her calm disposition, though her heart beat harder against her rib cage.

The signature was minor, opening the possibility of a Bunshin, though it was there nonetheless. As it slowly grew closer, Hinata observed that it was a humanoid shape. Perhaps a scout. This _was _the Land of Waves, after all.

"There's something wrong, isn't there?"

Hinata faltered at Naruto's worried inquiry, though she didn't allow a frown to mar her features. "Probably just a scout," she dismissed with a casual wave of her hand, attempting to suppress the growing feeling of foreboding that threatened to rise through her chest. As the figure grew closer and closer, it was harder and harder to believe that it was a mere scout.

Naruto wasn't fooled, however. He set his untouched bowl of ramen on the dirt, and rose to his feet. "How many?" he demanded in a harsh tone.

Hinata anxiously wet her throat. "O-one," she replied, her stutter coming back. As if on cue, another chakra signature suddenly…appeared. Hinata's brow furrowed; how can a signature just _appear?_

Naruto took Hinata's facial change as bad. "Another?"

A dull nod from the girl. Her eyes widened as another appeared…and then another…followed by two more… "Oh, Kami."

At least a hundred consecutive signatures were charging toward them at a rapid pace.

Too many to fight.

Hinata slipped down from her perch on the tree, with Naruto focusing his expectant gaze on her. She didn't have to ask if her expression gave away her emotions; her temporary teammate abruptly nodded. Her mouth opened for a long while, before Hinata finally managed to squeak one word, though that one word said enough.

"Run."

Apparently Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He turned and dashed through a particularly thick piece of foliage, with Hinata hurrying behind him, leaving the remnants of their makeshift; this didn't deter their obviously cruel followers. If anything, they picked up their pace in excitement. With a pang, Hinata realized they wouldn't make it in time. A quick glance behind her said that the pursuers were catching up, and fast.

"Hurry!" Naruto yelled, his sandaled feet moving forward at a blurring pace. In an instant, he hurled a kunai behind him in a desperate attempt to slow his hunters. A slight grin melted on to his face as he heard a pained grunt. He had hit his target.

It was then, that the first one broke through the trees.

Hinata honestly didn't get much of a chance to study the thing's features; if anything, it was sheer luck that her gaze had been focused ahead, or else she would have missed the cliff.

The cliff was very miss-able, in all fairness: the ground stopped short at a bluff, which fell an unfathomable distance. All in all, a _very _uncomfortable fall.

The girl attempted to stop, but it was too late; she was going too fast, and she teetered along the edge. Despite her sending chakra to the foot that was still implanted in the soft earth, she found herself tipping over into the abyss.

Her mouth open in a silent scream of terror, Hinata turned her head just enough to see one of her pursuers wrapping his hand around Naruto's throat, pressing a kunai to his throat. Not hard enough to kill, but definitely hard enough to draw blood. The boy himself was already unconscious, his limbs hanging limp to his sides.

In desperation, Hinata reached into the pouch on her side and retrieved a kunai; this was her last chance to redeem herself before an inevitable death.

The shot seemed simple enough: Naruto's captor was rather fat, so all she had to do was target his thick sides. With a furious yell, Hinata hurled the kunai, hoping, praying that she would hit her target. Despite not being able to see as she fell off the cliff, Hinata's heart sank as she didn't hear the satisfying _pat _of a hit target.

She had missed.

* * *

_Cliffhanger…_

_How did I do with the action scene? Please review._

_Thanks for reading._


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